The present invention relates to a reading system and process for printing and reading texts, and especially to a system using columns of words and scan words.
Due to the ease of acquiring information via the electronic communication media (radio, TV, computer nets, etc. ) many people have limited or even completely canceled the time they spend on reading texts. This decision of theirs can be also accredited to the inherent difficulties present in the process of reading which is tiring and time consuming.
The improvement of the mass media attracts huge amounts of capital whereas only few scholars carry out research into the improvement of reading, and then without government funding. This work intends to obviate or limit even some of the disadvantages the reading of conventional texts presents; disadvantages such as, for instance, the more than necessary fatigue required, the low speed of reading as well as the difficulty in understanding certain texts.
As has become apparent by experimentation with readers as well by the use of the first educational book in Greek, writing in column succeeds in increasing the reading speed and in reducing the fatigue by introducing a rectilinear motion of the eye during the reading process. Furthermore, it facilitates the learning process of reading and a more extensive comprehension of school books, in general.
There are many techniques used for teaching speed reading and others for helping younger pupils in learning how to read easier and in better understanding their lessons. It is the object of the present invention to facilitate the reader, not only so as to read faster but to read even more faster when reading the distinct selected words which convey a summary of the text, and to do so with the least possible effort.
As the usual length of a word is within the visual field of the reader without a shifting of the eyes from one side to the other being necessary for the reading process.
The object of fast, superfast but less tiring reading is achieved according to the present invention by the feature that during the reading process the eyes of the reader follow the straight ideal axis of each column. Thus, the reading becomes faster and more comfortable as the eyes of the reader are not obliged to shifting one side to the other, and in doing so to tire the eyes as well as the brain which in turn sends all the necessary numerous orders for the shifting of the reader's eyes.
The technique of the present invention further facilitates the understanding of the text since every word appears almost alone in the visual field of the reader who is thusly given the opportunity to study each and every word individually and in doing so to obtain more conceptual data.
Moreover, the possibility which is offered to the reader to have a summary of the text by reading just the scan words, can be very expeditious for pupils in learning their lessons.
The above characteristics make the technique of the invention very useful for printing school books.
Experimentation has shown that texts written by this technique allow readers to read fast and superfast but to also comprehend better the text they are reading.
Prior art U.S. Patent which utilizes techniques for fast reading and scanning may be seen in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,450 awarded to Max F. Morris in which the printed lines have as a common beginning the scan bar and each line has more words than one. But also the scan words, as can be seen in the drawing, are scattered in the various lines of the text. The present invention constitutes an important progress in relation to the prior art patent for the following reasons:
(a) According to the present invention in each line of the column of words there is only one word the length of which is within the visual field of the reader and which can be read by the reader without shifting the eyes from one side to the other. As a result the course of the reader's glance is in perfect alignment with the ideal axis of symmetry of the column. Thus, the reading becomes faster and more comfortable as the eyes of the reader are not obliged to shifting one side to the other, and in doing so to tire the eyes as well as the brain which in turn sends all the necessary numerous orders for the shifting of the reader's eyes. On the other hand, in the prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,450, in each line there is an entire line of words which, as they are not within the visual field of the reader requires a shifting of the eyes and as reported in U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,450 p. 2 1. 47 "to read the material shown in the figure, a reader learns to read each entire line rather than the individual words".
(b) According to the present invention the superfast reading is ensured by the feature of selective reading, because the scan words can be easier found as they are rectilinear to the axis of symmetry of each column. On the other hand, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,450 the scan words are clearly more difficult to be found as they are scattered.
Another prior art U.S. Patent relating to a method of printing may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,713 awarded to Martin M. Weiss in which the writting is done not simply with letters of the alphabet but with combinations of letters of different types and additional symbols aiming at the teaching of proper pronunciation.